Who to Be
by Aerilon452
Summary: Belle has an identity crisis where Rumpelstiltskin helps her through it and then he takes her out to dinner where Regina see's them. COMPLETE ONE SHOT.


Summary: Belle is crying and Rumpelstiltskin console's her.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Once Upon A Time.

Rating: T

Pairing: Rumpelstiltskin and Belle

**WHO TO BE:**

Belle stood in front of the mirror, tears streaming down her face. She was having trouble reconciling the memories she knew to be real and the memories she had of being in the dark, alone, and scared. How could she do this? How could she be the Belle she used to be when she lived with Rumpelstiltskin? Arms slipped around her waist then holding her close as his face swam into view behind her in the mirror. "How do you do it?" She asked her voice still thick with tears. So many emotions roiled through her leaving her in tears. Belle draped her arms over his around her waist.

"I hold on to the man I want to be, the memories I want to keep close." Rumpelstiltskin answered lightly kissing Belle's temple. "I hold tight to the memories of you from the first moment I saw you." For days he had seen her slip in and out of the Belle he knew from days spent at the DarkCastle. She was having trouble sifting through the memories of her true life and of the life she had here in Storybrooke. "You make me who I am." He lightly buried his nose in her hair drawing in the scent that he could never forget.

More tears streamed down her face. "It's so hard to separate what I know is real from our world and what is fake from this one." Belle leaned her head back to rest against his shoulder. She could stay like this with him for hours. Rumpelstiltskin was holding her and that was all that mattered. He alone could chase away her bad thoughts, her despair, her heartache, and her confusion.

Rumpelstiltskin stood behind Belle, gently took her chin in his left hand turning her face back towards the mirror, "Tell me what you see." He urged. The reflection, to him was his Belle, the woman he loved like no other. There was the tiniest hope that he could get her to see it as well.

Belle looked at the mirror, "I see you." She answered not wanting to look at her reflection. It was too confusing knowing her life in the Fairy Tale World and the life she had here being reflected back at her.

"Do you want to know what I see?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. He dropped his hand from her face, using both of his arms to encircle her waist bringing Belle back against his chest. "I see the young woman who came to live with me. I see the woman who used to sit on the edge of my table. I see the woman he teased me, laughed with me, and watched me as I spun at the wheel." When he gazed at her, there was nothing about this world swirling at her. To him, Belle was the woman he knew from his true life. She was the reminder of who he wished to be.

Belle turned away from the mirror to wrap her arms around him again. More tears; they wouldn't stop. "You remind me of who I want to be too." She answered. It moved her to know that when he looked at her, he still saw the woman she had been; the woman slowly falling in love with a man who thought himself a monster. "I don't know if I can…"

"Belle, you can do this. You are strong and capable of being the woman you want." Rumpelstiltskin reassured her holding tightly to Belle. He could hold her enough; hug her enough, to know that she was truly with him again. The terrible day that the Queen came to his castle, practically gloating that Belle was dead, had destroyed what was left of him. Now he had another chance with her. Cupping her face he wiped away her tears, smiling at her gently. "Now, if you would permit me, I would like to take you out to dinner."

Belle didn't know what to say. "To dinner?" She was confused, but in a good way. There was the assumption in her mind that he would once again keep her cooped up in this house to where he was the only one who saw her. She was overjoyed to know that he wanted to take her some where. "As in town? You want to take me to town?" Then Belle got playful, "Do you remember what happened last time I went to town?" She kissed him lightly pulling away from him she said, "Let me get changed." And then she was out of the bathroom.

Rumpelstiltskin looked after her with a devilish smile crossing his lips. Oh yes, he well remembered what had happened last time. Taking her out tonight was not only for Belle, to get her out and used to the people in the town, but to show the Queen he would not let what she had done to Belle stand. He would take every opportunity to remind the Queen that Belle was his. Giving her a few more minutes, Gold lingered resting against the door jam of the bathroom before he ambled down the hall to where she was hooking a necklace around her slender, delicate neck. She had changed from the light blue sleep pants and the black tank top she had been wearing into a golden camisole, a white over shirt, baby blue jeans, and silver flat shoes. The sight of her made him smile, "You look radiant, my dear."

Belle looked at him over her shoulder, smiling proudly. "You have good taste in clothes." She didn't mind the clothes he had picked for her, after all he had dressed her when they had been at the DarkCastle. The simple blue skirt, the white peasant blouse, the blue corset, and the simple shoes she had worn looked rather good on her. "Where are you taking me?" Belle asked remembering she had asked the exact same question of him her first night in the DarkCastle. Back then she had been locked in a dungeon. Her accommodations had improved since then.

Rumpelstiltskin smirked at her, "To dinner." He answered holding out his hand to her. Gently, Belle's hand slid comfortably into his. The feeling of stability he got from holding her hand was nothing short of miraculous. She was his miracle.

"Yes, but where?" She asked again seeing the playful light dancing in his eyes. Belle could sense she wasn't going to get any answers out of him when he was like this. The Rumpelstiltskin she knew would tease her, smirk at her, and make her laugh all without answering a single question she had posed to him. Rumpelstiltskin knew how to wriggle out of any situation.

**THE LIONS DEN:**

Belle looked up at the sign feeling a little intimidated by the massive sign with a carved roaring Lion. "This is a place to eat?" she asked looking around at the patrons filtering in through the cave like door. For a moment Belle felt out of place in her simple jeans and shirt while Rumpelstiltskin was in one of his immaculate suits that fit him so well. Other people around her were dressed in suits, evening dresses.

"Don't worry," Rumpelstiltskin reassured Belle slipping his arm around her. "The owner owes me quite a few favors." He guided Belle inside only momentarily feeling her pause before she slid her arm around his waist in return under his suit jacket. Motioning to the man in charge Rumpelstiltskin scanned the customers who were already seated; Regina stuck out like a sore thumb among those who wished her the most harm. He locked eyes with the Queen wanting her to see who he was with.

"Rumpelstiltskin…"

Belle shivered at the silky, sinister tone that slithered over her skin. She looked at the tall man who wore a black suit, blood red vest. More than that she was transfixed by his tan skin, his mass of black hair, lion green eyes, and the scar running down from his eye brow to just above his cheek bone. Belle almost felt like a mouse caught in a trap.

"Sorren," Rumpelstiltskin kept his arm around Belle noticing the way the lion was staring at her.

"Please, you know who I am." The Lion scolded playfully nearly licking his chops at the precious morsel the imp had brought through the door. When the magic had come to the town so had his true identity.

"Fine, Scar." Rumpelstiltskin had had minor dealings over the years with this human made lion and had found him at best an in the moment ally.

"Now that's out of the way," Scar shrugged. "What can I do for you?" He slid his gaze over to Regina, the woman in town everyone hated. Well, all except Scar. He held a common distaste for the woman, not a full fledged hate.

"We would like your best table." Rumpelstiltskin smirked, a lion like grin he had learned to mimic from Scar over the years.

"As always…" Scar looked to the interesting woman beside Rumpelstiltskin. "And this tasty morsel to your left, tell me she's a gift?" He teased menacingly. A deadly chuckle filled the air.

"Bad kitty," Rumpelstiltskin let loose some of his power in a show of dominance over the lion. "She's with me. You harm her and you know well what I am capable of." He was pleased to see Scar back down.

"Right this way." Scar motioned to a booth that was directly in front of Regina. That should cause some entertainment. "Enjoy the view." Scar commented snidely walking away back to the kitchen.

Belle tried not to chuckle at the look of outrage on Rumpelstiltskin's face as he saw the Queen sitting before them idly looking over a menu. She leaned over to whisper in his ear while battling back the laughter, "Let me guess…" A giggle slipped out, "Bad kitty." She knew she shouldn't laugh, but she couldn't help it. Belle covered her mouth shaking with barely restrained laughter.

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head at Belle as she continued to giggle and shake. "Belle, you can stop laughing." Even as he said that to her, he felt a chuckle rumble in his chest as he continued to watch her. Her laugher was much preferred to her tears. Rumpelstiltskin didn't know what to do when she had been crying.

"I know," Belle dragged in air, "I shouldn't be laughing because that man scares me." And again she dissolved into laughter. "That man scares me." Belle said between laughs. "I got the feeling he wanted to eat me." She sobered instantly. "Isn't that cannibalism?" Warily she cast her gaze back to where Scar had traipsed off to. He was no where to be seen, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"Technically not for him," Rumpelstiltskin shrugged teasing Belle darkly. "He is a lion." He chuckled at her look of horror directed at him. Much like he had that first night, Rumpelstiltskin shook his head smiling. "Just teasing," Belle made a rude face at him that had him shaking his head.

"That's not funny." She scolded but she did grin at him in return. Then the air shifted, the Queen drew her attention to them. Belle could feel her watching them and she didn't know what was worse; The Evil Queen or a menacing lion named Scar.

"It's kind of funny." Rumpelstiltskin replied chuckling at her playful glare.

"Rumple, you're looking well. I see you have…" Regina was cut off mid sentence by the unfriendly look the girl sent her way. It was Belle. How had she been freed? It didn't matter at the moment. Regina could make plans to one again incarcerate Belle. Though to do so would bring the full force of Rumpelstiltskin's wrath down upon her head. Could she risk that?

"Yes, it's Belle," Rumpelstiltskin mentioned casually. "I was surprised to find she was still alive, after you told me she was dead." He cocked his head to the side, "Really your majesty, how could you get such a detail wrong?" Rumpelstiltskin signaled for Belle to move closer to him in the booth. Normally she would have questioned him, this time she didn't. She slid closer taking his hand under the table. Belle wasn't sure what was about to happen between Rumpelstiltskin and the Evil Queen.

"No matter," Regina shrugged. "How long do you think you can protect her from me?" She asked picking up her fork and knife to leisurely cut into the steak she had ordered. There would be time enough for the battle she knew she would have to engage in with Rumpelstiltskin.

"How long do you expect to protect yourself from me?" Rumpelstiltskin turned the tables on her. He knew she was reliving the first moment they met. Regina shot him a frigid stare that he only shrugged off. "Remember who has the real power around here dearie." He reminded her. "I really hope that isn't cooked human on your plate. You know how Scar can be," He added seeing the steak on Regina's plate. The Queen dropped her fork and knife pushing her plate away. It was small of Rumpelstiltskin, it was true, but it still felt good.

"This isn't over." Regina snarled at Rumpelstiltskin getting up from her table with her appetite suddenly leaving her. He only smirked that annoying smirk at her. Every time she saw it, Regina was overcome with the uncontrollable urge to hit him. Though, if one was to even try and strike the Dark One they would have a shorter life span than originally planned. Regina kept her anger in chest as she walked out of the Lions Den.

"You should be careful." Belle warned. "She's really dangerous." She didn't want anything to happen to Rumpelstiltskin now that she had found him again.

"Don't worry. She can't do anything to me." He assured her.

"What about the rest of us?" Belle questioned.

"You are safest when you are with me." Rumpelstiltskin replied.

"What if when I'm not with you?" Belle asked knowing that she was being overly concerned. He would protect her. She knew he would.

"Belle, you're always safe with me." Rumpelstiltskin brought their joined hands up so he could kiss her knuckles. "You believe me?" He asked searching for her eyes for any sense of trepidation, of fear. There wouldn't be enough hours in the day for him to try and chase any fear from her.

"Forever," Belle responded using a word that meant so much more to them. She knew that whatever her fate, he would share in it with her. He would do what ever he could to protect her. Safety surrounded her then knowing that she was going to be with Rumpelstiltskin; her true love.


End file.
